


A Feeling like Dread

by wrelicofwren



Category: Sagas of Sundry, Sagas of Sundry: Dread
Genre: F/F, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-02
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-11-22 06:26:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11374452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wrelicofwren/pseuds/wrelicofwren
Summary: After warming themselves in their new shelter, Kayden and Tanner enter a closet and have a conversation of sorts...





	1. Chapter 1

“Kayden,” Tanner said flatly, grabbing the attention of the man not far from him in the utility closet. 

The cabin they’d found, supposedly belonging to Agatha, Tobias and their son Simon at one point in time was unsurprisingly empty, but weirdly well lit on the interior thanks to a few lanterns and the still crackling fireplace. Someone was obviously using it as a home but whoever it was clearly wasn’t there at the moment, as no one answered to any of Darby’s or Sat’s calls when they filed in through the front door. 

Unless they were hiding, which would be a totally creepy and unnecessary thing to do. 

Soaked from getting caught in the rain, they had all mutually agreed that stoking the fire and getting some warmth back in their bodies took priority over looking around for a while. Lightning had flashed dully through the curtains hardly a second before a powerful crack of thunder seemed to rattle the whole house. For a half hour or so, the group had huddled together before the heat and light of the fire, waiting either for the storm to pass or the owner to return. 

Darby was convinced that this house had been placed there to provide them a better shelter than the research post, but Tanner was less than convinced. His mind had turned toward the film he’d managed to salvage and the fact that they’d need to eat soon - most of their supplies being currently unreachable.

It was likely that whoever the current owner was wouldn’t take kindly to five strange teenagers snooping around their house, but they had some money, and when the storm continued on after they felt sufficiently dry they decided that it might just be better to eat first and pay later. They’d all migrated to the kitchen together, scouring the cupboards for something that wasn’t beans or sardines, when Kayden spotted a small door partially ajar, leading into some kind of utility/laundry room. It was a bit crowded with junk, but Tanner knew it was the perfect space to maybe develop some photos, and strangely enough, looking around he found that the owner had some of the chemical components he could use in stock there. 

To his surprise, Kayden stayed to help him, and the two of them began to work, clearing out some of the room as Darby continued to look around the kitchen, Raina and Sat leaving to explore what seemed to be more rooms further down the hall. But the feeling of restlessness Tanner had around Kayden wouldn’t lift. There was something about the guy that put him on edge constantly.

Kayden looked up, meeting Tanner eyes briefly before rolling his own. “Fuck me, not this again. How many times do you want me to say it?” He asked, placing down what appeared to be half of a set of pliers on the counter top. “What, you think I built this house too? Conjured a storm?”

Tanner shook his head, looking down at the box of knick-knacks he’d just picked up, “Listen, it’s just- I’m having trouble with… believing this is happening again. This is all so coincidental. We happen to find a cut-out piece of paper that tells us about a key that we never would’ve found, to a cabin that we shouldn’t even _be_ in. We both know the kinds of shit you’ve pulled in the past and-”

“That’s your first problem, man. You think you know things about me, and you don’t.” Kayden seemed thoroughly disinterested, picking up a small wooden box, sniffing it and putting it back down. He moved on to the upper shelves, casting Tanner a glance as he chuckled snidely, reaching his hand up to grab a snow globe. “I mean you can blame me if you want, it’s fucking hilarious. This whole thing is a fucking divine comedy.”

“This isn’t _funny_ , Kayden,” Tanner mumbled, still trying to clear the counter space while Kayden kept putting junk down.

“Oh I’m sorry, Tanner. Tell me how I should behave myself. I’ll do it just for you.”

Tanner sighed. “Why do you always have to be like this?”

“Like _what_ ,” Kayden spat, not turning around to face Tanner as he shook his new globe, the word ‘Nevada’ splayed across the inside in thick blocks of yellow text.

“This! I’m trying to talk to you-“

Kayden rounded on him, “No, you’re trying to _accuse_ me of shit so it helps you sleep at night. Wake up! You’re not the only person with fucking nightmares about the shit that happened last year.” For a moment, Tanner thought he saw something shift across Kayden’s features, almost like fear or dread, but he attributed it to a trick of the light. There was no way Kayden would ever show anything other than snarky disrespect, especially to him. Still, the pause it gave him was enough to temper the flame of anger building in the back of his mind.

Maybe he’d been going about this the wrong way. Kayden was reacting to what he put out so maybe a more easy approach would help? Tanner sighed, already knowing this was a terrible idea. 

“…I don’t even know how Sat found you, you’ve been a ghost. I used to see you around a little but…where have you been this whole time?”

“None of your fucking business, that’s where,” Kayden snorted, and the fire was back immediately.

“Goddamit, Kayden!” Tanner smacked his fist against the wooden counter with a hollow thud, but the other man didn’t even flinch, biting down on his tongue and smiling at him. 

“What about you, huh? Why are you here? Because contrary to what you might think, we can survive a night together without our mom nagging us.”

Tanner waved a hand at Kayden, dismissing the words and trying not to let them anywhere near his social anxieties. “You know what? Forget it. I don’t even know why I-.” 

“Everything alright?” Darby asked lightly, poking her head around the corner, half opened can of corn in her hand.

“I don’t know. Got any new plans to bury us under _this_ house?” Kayden asked moodily, significantly more irritated at being interrupted than he should be. Tanner groaned, about to answer when two more figures crowded the doorway.

“What’s going on?” Sat hovered a head taller than the other women in the door, her voice curious but demanding. Raina’s mouth twisted to the side as she looked between the two boys, trying to figure out what set them off this time, and Tanner shook his head.

“Nothing.” Tanner was suddenly very aware of how much attention he was getting in this tiny room and how much he wanted it to stop. But this knowledge was met by his desire to combat Kayden in some way. Not for one second did he want him to feel like he’d won something. Tanner turned his head back towards him, “You know, I don’t even know why you came. You barely like us anyway.”

Something in Kayden seemed to crack at that, his throat clicking in a tense swallow as his face morphed into a scowl. “You’re so right, Tanner. I go the ass-end of nowhere with you all because I hate you. You’re fucking clueless, man.“ Sarcasm lined every syllable, sending Tanner’s blood rushing through his ears. 

“Well you’re a goddamn asshole! And I still think you wouldn’t come back here unless it was to fuck with us!” 

“Guys, come on…” the rasp of Raina’s plea did nothing to slow the escalating situation between the men. Sat’s arm on her shoulder gently moved her over towards Darby, Sat slipping into her space, her eyes flicking between them.

“I’ve never tried to hurt you! Look at my fucking arm, I didn’t do this for fun!” Kayden rallied, grabbing the sleeve on his left arm and pushing it up to reveal his burned, scarred forearm, a remnant from their last encounter in these woods. Kayden pressed forward, forcing Tanner to step back and bump his hip on the edge of the counter. “You want to know why I’m here? You really want to know?”

Tanner braced himself against the worktop; hesitant at how close Kayden was but not willing to back down. “Yes! Just be straight with me for one- hmph!“ Tanner heard a gasp from somewhere to his side, but he was a bit distracted by the fingers gripping the back of his hair and the lips suddenly on his. Kayden’s piercings pressed strangely against his dry lips, the surprise of the impact making the angle harsh. A hand grabbed at his hip, fingers holding on as the angle changed slightly, making the kiss softer, sweeter. 

Oh… oh. Kayden was kissing him. Kissing him and… oh God. 

Tanner pushed Kayden off of him in a panic, staring wide-eyed, his heart rabbiting in his chest. Kayden knew. That’s why he was doing this. He knew Kayden could be cruel but this was just _evil_. 

“W-what the hell! Is this a joke to you?” Tanner almost shouted, barely getting his breathing under control.

“Does it look like I’m laughing?” It really didn’t, when Tanner calmed himself down enough to pay attention. Kayden was stoic in a way Tanner couldn’t place, arms limp at his side and expression closed off to the world. Tanner didn’t know what to say; he felt frozen. 

“Wait, wait! _What is going on_?” Darby exclaimed in sheer disbelief, drawing Tanner’s attention to the girls. Raina held both hands over her mouth in shock, while Sat had her eyes locked on Kayden, worry weighting her gaze.

“I didn’t fuck with you. Not last year. Not now,” Kayden said solemnly, just loud enough for Tanner to hear. A breath passed, and then Kayden laughed, viciously choking it out from somewhere in his chest. He dragged his hands over his eyes, shaking his head back and forth even as the laughter died into giggles. “Fuck, what am I even doing? Believe me or don’t. Doesn’t matter. I don’t even care. Fuck this _whole_ thing.” And with those words, Kayden stomped out of the room, pushing past Sat and out of Tanner’s sight.

“Kayden, where are you going?” Sat called after him, and then started to move to catch him. “Hey wait, don’t just leave on your own!” The front door of the cabin opened and slammed in the distance once, then twice.

Kayden kissed him. In what world did that even make sense? And why did it feel like _that_? He jumped out of his thoughts as a hand touched him.

“Tanner? You alright?” Raina asked softy from his side, hand dropping as she pulled away. 

“I… um. Yeah. I did not… expect that.” Raina nodded at his words, pursing her lips together in a clear indication that she wanted to say something. “What is it?”

“Nothing! Just. I might’ve had an… idea that he, y’know.” 

This caught Darby’s attention, bidding her inside the small room as well. “Wait, you knew?”

“It’s Kayden! You never really _know_ with him,” Raina shrugged loudly, playing with the ends of her hair and avoiding Tanner's eyes. “I just caught him looking at you sometimes last year and you know you have to study faces to capture the right emotions and I sort of guessed? He never did anything so I thought he was over it! I don’t think he planned… that,” She finished, gesturing to the empty space in front of Tanner where the moment occurred.

Kayden wasn’t being a jerk because he found out Tanner liked guys? He was just… wait, no. No way did Kayden actually _like_ him, that was impossible. And yet...

“B-but I thought him and Sat were...?” Tanner started weakly, his understanding of everything crumbling for wholly mundane reasons this time and not a daemon goat.

“They were, for a little while. I don’t really know when that changed but it’s been at least a year and a half now since they were anything more than friends,” Darby answered, patting him. “Are you gonna be okay? That was a lot of information. You know you don’t owe him anything.”

“Right. Yeah,” he nodded, still very confused. “I’m going to… deal with the dark room for a bit. I just need to....” he trailed off, but the two women acknowledged his need for space, agreeing to go work on dinner for a bit. 

Even though he’d said that, Tanner didn’t move for a while. Slowly his arm rose, fingers tracing the fresh memory of lips on his with a pensive frown. “Fucking asshole…”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are unbelievable. This kind of response on a fic is insane for me, though I know it's mostly because I'm the only one right now xD. Still, all the love is appreciated and I hope you like this!

“Slow down! Kayden, _come on man._ It’s still raining!” The leafy crunch of the forest beneath them made an odd, incoherent harmony with the persistent melody of rainfall all around. 

“Leave me alone,” Kayden barked at Sat’s plea, the words half-hearted and unsure as he tracked the bounce of his Maglite through the trees. He hated how much he regretted leaving the cabin, but there was no admitting that, just him getting somewhere that Tanner wasn’t.

“If you don’t stop walking, I’m going to tackle you and sit on you.” Kayden snorted, but knew Sat was as good as her word most days. He turned to face her, leaning against the nearest tree and crossing his arms irritably as she came to a stop in front of him, protected by the thicker branches above. 

“What?”

Sat rolled her eyes and shook out her hair, now even damper from their little jaunt through the woods. His own hair had been holding up better, but it was only a matter of time.

“So were you trying to shit all over any chance you might have with Tanner, or was that you bringing your A-game?”

“Fuck you,” he mumbled in reflex, wiping away the water on his face with the back of his hand. 

“We did that before, remember?” Sat grinned, sidling up next to him against the tree trunk, the bark catching on the back of her shirt. Kayden remembered well enough, the moments he was sober for it at least. It had been a simple transition from hanging out to being whatever they had been. They had fun, but something didn’t click, or maybe it clicked too easily. They were too alike in some ways, he figured. Ultimately Sat had been the one who called it off in the end, not wanting to be with him but needing them to stay friends. 

Maybe he should’ve been more surprised, but honestly he had other things, other people on his mind at the time. It didn’t really bother him in the end.

“Kayden, seriously what the hell happened in there?” Sat asked softly, but probing. He hadn’t meant to kiss him. Legitimately. Riling up Tanner was a pastime for him; it was entertaining making someone typically so passive get worked up, but right then? He didn’t know what he was thinking, his head had been on fire and they were so close in that little room. 

What could he say? Tanner looking at him with so much fury in his eyes just did something for him. 

Sat sighed, “Fine, you don’t want to talk to me. Can we at least go back to the cabin?”

“I’m not holding you hostage,” he answered flippantly, digging around in his inner coat pockets.

“I’m not leaving you out here by yourself,” she responded like he’d said the dumbest thing she’d heard in a while. And maybe that was true. She watched as Kayden pulled out a lighter and an only slightly wet packet of cigarettes. Taking one when offered, she let him light them both before saying anything more. 

A lazy curl of smoke drifted from her fingers as she placed the cigarette to her lined lips. “Well, I think you scared the hell out of him, for starters,” she said offhand, looking for his reaction, but Kayden took a longer drag, exhaling through his nose.

“Another reason for him to hate my fucking guts anyway,” he shrugged, knowing he was good at not seeming affected when he wanted to, but a little chuckle from Sat threw him off his game.

“Sorry. Tanner doesn’t hate you,” she laughed a bit more at Kayden’s doubtful expression. The smartest people could be so hopeless sometimes. “Have you ever known Tanner to hate anyone? The guy usually goes straight from dislike to apathy. He fights you too much to hate you.”

“Well, he sure as hell doesn’t _like_ me,” he countered, sitting down among roots.

“You don’t make it easy,” she matched, sitting as well. A moment or two passed in rainy, smoke-hazed silence, the light of the moon through the canopy doing its best to touch the earth beneath them. Then, “So, are you like, in love with him?”

Kayden narrowed his eyes, knowing she was messing with him. _“Fuck no,”_ he said, just to make it clear. 

“Just asking,” she said, playing at her innocence. Still, it got him thinking. Kayden decided a long time ago that emotions just didn’t run that deep for him. He liked Sat, sure, and he liked their little group; they’d been a near constant in his life up until the last year. Loving and being in love were things completely alien to him. So much so that he wasn’t sure he’d know what that felt like or if he could feel it. 

His cigarette dangled dangerously from his fingers as his rested his forehead in his palm. Thinking about all of this, like it actually mattered, was why he walked away every time. This was craziness, and he questioned answering Sat’s call two weeks before. 

This much sudden soul-searching required alcohol, so he got out his flask and took a generous swig. A year had passed and he’d just wanted to see them. He wanted to see Tanner and figure out his head. He hadn’t mean to kiss him.

“I haven’t done shit to him, you know? I haven’t done shit all day and he just keeps pushing my fucking buttons. It’s so fucking frustrating!” Tanner was a… friend he was attracted to, but while it didn’t affect what he’d had with Sat, Tanner was not Sat. At all. 

He huffed out a breathy laugh. “Fuck man, I lost it.” 

“Yeah, you did.” Sat agreed quietly from his side. Kayden thought back to the fear, the shock on Tanner’s face right after he kissed him, and felt the crawl of guilt inside. He drank more to silence it. “What are you going to do?” she asked.

Like he had any useful ideas. “I don’t fucking know.” He chuckled absently, passing the flask over to her.

“He’s not like us, you know,” Sat added, tapping him once on the shoulder to get his attention after a little while. “You need to be more… careful.“ 

Kayden smirked a little, shaking his head. “Tanner can handle himself.”

Sat didn’t appear to agree with him, hitting him in the arm a bit harder this time. “You _know_ what I mean. Don’t hurt him,” she looked at Kayden pointedly, “Or yourself.”

# .- / ...- . .-. ... .. --- -. / --- ..-. / - .... . / - .-. ..- - .... #

There was quiet between the girls as they worked in the kitchen, a combination of canned soups and vegetable heating readily on the stovetop. Raina had found bowls and plates they could use, but they were coated in a dark layer of dust so thick it had her rethinking the lived-in quality of this cottage. Even so, there was running water, so that would have to do for cleanliness, she supposed. “What do you think?” Darby’s sudden question startled her, the dishes clacking loudly against each other as she tried to rinse off the grime. “About the boys,” Darby clarified when Raina furrowed her brows at her. 

“Oh.” The artist gave it a bit of thought, returning her focus to the bowl in her hand. “Tanner seemed a little freaked out? I mean, I think I would be.”

“I thought it was kinda hot.”

“ _Darby_!” Raina couldn’t help laughing in surprise, and felt a spot in her heart ease as Darby laughed with her. It felt like it had been so long since they’d had reason to smile at each other without tension. Even as their smiles dimmed to pleasant turns of their mouths, Raina could only think that it was nice to be on familiar territory.

“So,” Darby cleared her throat, turning her attention to the soup and giving it a stir, “did you guys find anything interesting?”

“Not much. A couple of the rooms were locked going down the hall. Um…” Raina hesitated, thinking of the door with the odd symbols and locks and wondering if she should mention it.

“Yeah?” 

She decided against it for now. “Sat found some pictures. Here.” Wiping a hand on her jean shorts, she reached into a back pocket and pulled out an aged photograph of someone under a sheet and three children – the only one she’d kept out of their findings. Passing it over to Darby, she continued, “I mean, we didn’t get very far before we heard the boys arguing. Darby, I-”

“These kids are dead.”

Raina put up her hands, her mouth forming the question before she could process what had been said. “What?”

Darby’s brows raced up into her hairline as she waved Raina closer. “Look. Look at the dates.” She did, and horror crept up along her spine as she realized how right Darby was. Two out of the three children in that photo weren’t alive when it was taken. “Agatha and Simon… Did you see a radio?”

“Uh, yeah.” There was no getting over that quickly, but Raina tried to clear her head. “It was on a side table in this room with some bay windows. Sat was going to turn it on but-“

Darby grinned, turning the stovetop off and grabbing Raina’s wrist in a swift movement. “Oh, we’re absolutely going to now.”

“Wait,” Raina leaned back as Darby tried to pull her deeper into the cabin. There was another person here that should at least know where they went, so she knocked on the door to utility room where Tanner had disappeared nearly ten minutes prior. “Hey, Tanner?”

“Don’t open the door!” He said in a hurry, likely in the middle of developing some of the film.

“I wasn’t going to! Just letting you know we’re down the hall, listening to the radio!”

“Radio?” He sounded preoccupied, but Raina didn’t have time to answer before she heard the dull clatter of something falling, followed by an abrupt “Shit!”

“You okay in there?” Darby chimed in, concerned when nothing followed after that.

“Stop distracting me, please. This is time-sensitive work.” Tanner’s voice was becoming testier as they talked, but Darby just rolled her eyes, glad he hadn’t cracked his head open or something.

“Let’s go,” she canted her head down toward the room, Raina following her to a place she’d been before. There were boxes stacked on boxes, possibly in some order she wasn’t privy to, but the living space around them looked neatly ordered, frozen in a moment of time almost. Darby adjusted her tie, bee-lining for the radio and flipping it on with a delighted smile. Raina’s stomach twisted in fear suddenly.

“Darby, wait.” The click of her throat was loud in her ears as she swallowed, watching Darby manoeuvre the knob through station-less static. “I know haven’t been the most supportive person-”

“Raina, right now, I just want to put this together. There’s something on '540' that I need to hear, and then after that you can tell me all the problems you have with our guardian again, alright?” 

# .-.. .. . ... / .. -. / -- . -- --- .-. -.-- #

Tanner was convinced Kayden was screwing with him from a distance now. The stupid snow globe he’d been playing with had somehow fallen off of the shelf in the middle of him pouring the stabiliser into a re-sealable tube, and he’d jumped and spilled it everywhere. On the plus side, it wasn’t the bleach, so he didn’t look like a washing mishap -or sprout new chemical burns- immediately, but now his already limited counter space was soaked in stabiliser that he couldn’t really see in the dark and that was just fantastic. 

Luckily, he had enough of the chemicals for the film and continued to pour, winding the few rolls he had into the jar with practiced ease once he’d finished. The running water in that room was a bonus as well. A little agitation, a little rinse and he had visibly developed negatives, ready to be made into photos if he had the right equipment. Tanner reached up for the light, blinking rapidly as the incandescent bulb lit up the once dark room. 

A wave of nostalgia hit him as he looked over the negative, holding it up to the light to get a better look at the pictures he’d taken over a year ago. Most of the stills weren’t even from the camping trip, he thought, scrutinising his old work carefully. Some of the pictures didn’t make much sense, just people and wildlife, but an image of a lonely porch swing caught his eye.

_“Hey! What’s your damage?” A feminine voice called from in front of him as he pushed through the doorway of the kitchen, into the backyard, just past the throng of teenage bodies in a house that seemed to get smaller by the minute. It wasn't the party of one of his friends but he'd gone because they asked him to come, and just as he thought they'd all gone off to socialise separately and left him on his own._

_“Sorry,” he glanced at the girl, who was wrapped up in the arms of a boy with well coiffed hair and very thick muscles. He was probably supposed to leave, but there was no chance of him going back in there right away. Tanner guessed he must’ve interrupted whatever they were doing with his very existence, because the girl rolled her eyes and turned to the jock, tugging him back into the house._

_“God, what a weirdo,” she said just loud enough for him to hear as they passed by. And he was alone, miraculously. There wasn’t much out there, a swinging porch chair the couple had just vacated and a mistreated lawn, but it was enough for him. He snapped a photo, and then took a spot on the floating bench, downing whatever alcohol was left in his cup with a sigh._

_What was he even doing there? He could just go home, not be missed. Tanner began to fiddle with the focus on his camera, wanting to bring the starry moonlit sky into view._

_“Found you,” said someone familiar directly before him. Tanner pulled the viewfinder away slowly. Well, he could only be alone so long._

_“Hey,” he said to Kayden, who was making himself comfortable now on the swing next to him, causing it to jerk and sway._

_“Running low?” Kayden asked, jutting his chin towards Tanner’s empty cup, but Tanner waved him off._

_“I’m fine. It was getting a little hot in there, so…” he trailed off, ending with his gaze on a brown patch of lawn in front of him. Kayden was busy, digging through various pockets on his coat and trousers. Honestly how many pockets did you need?_

_“I’m surprised you came. Parties are not your scene, dude,” Kayden made a little sound of success, pulling out a lighter and a weirdly thick cigarette._

_“No, they really aren’t,” he quirked a little smile at himself, shaking his head. “I don’t know. Most of these people are strangers to me and we went to the same school. I want to have memories to look back on, so if that means spending time with you guys here then…” Tanner shrugged as Kayden lit up, confirming the suspicion he had that was marijuana by scent alone. It was fine for now, he’d rather be out there with Kayden then back inside the house._

_“Wanna make a new memory?” Kayden asked, mouth half-cocked as he suddenly held out the drug toward Tanner. “I know, I’m totally the bad guy in your afterschool specials.” He laughed, giving Tanner the idea that he was probably already high, otherwise he usually wouldn’t offer._

_“Uh, I don’t think…”_

_“It’s just a joint, nothing funny. It’s not gonna kill you.” Kayden pressed it into Tanner’s hand, kicking his legs out and forcing a small, constant swinging motion. There was something weird about how he was acting, but Kayden was a lot to unpack on a good day, he had very little chance when he was high. Tanner stared at the item he now possessed, held aloft in his fingers, and he quickly glanced at a nearby window, to check if anyone was looking out. If his parents ever got wind of this, he’d be dead. Extremely dead._

_Kayden, still aware, caught the look and rolled his eyes. An odd feeling of challenge came over Tanner in that moment as Kayden propped his head up with his arm on the far armrest and held out his free hand to Tanner. “No one cares about what you’re doing. I’m just trying to help you relax, man. If you don’t want to-”_

_Tanner pulled the joint closer towards himself. Kayden sat up instantly._

_One too deep inhale and a coughing fit later, Tanner was doubled over catching his breath while Kayden was picking himself up from the floor, cackling wildly. “That’s so bad,” Tanner choked out, embarrassed and out of his depth._

_“Ah, fuck,“ Kayden giggled, struggling to get himself under control without causing himself pain. “It gets better,” he managed as he sat back down, taking the joint back._

_“Sure,” Tanner grunted, the smoke clearing from his lungs enough that he was comfortable. He didn't get it, he didn’t think he would ever get it, but Kayden and Sat found this stuff fun and he accepted it. Leaning back in the swing, he tried to relax, but he had the sensation of being watched, and he turned to Kayden, who was unabashedly watching him._

_The other man was fully reclined, looking up at him with a curious expression that made Tanner a bit uncomfortable, so he asked, “What?” and Kayden’s gaze slipped away from him like water over glass. So strange. “Why are you out here?” he tried to change the topic, so they weren’t stuck in the weird silence. Kayden didn’t have to come out here to smoke, as Tanner saw many people doing all manner of illicit things in there, marijuana was the least of their worries. He really didn’t like parties._

_“Oh, right. Sat wants to go camping.” Tanner squinted at the revelation, not trusting it right away, but Kayden swore. “I know. Earth Studies in there,” he gestured towards the main house, an attempt at indicating that he meant Darby, “knows about some abandoned cabin in the woods and Sat wants us all to go before you guys leave.”_

_“How drunk is she right now?” Tanner questioned outright, trying not to be too aware of the fact that he was always the last to know about plans they made. Maybe he should’ve gotten more to drink earlier._

_Kayden chuckled a little, then a lot. “No clue. Seemed serious though.”_

_“Right. Did she say when?” Tanner asked. Kayden shrugged the shrug of a man with enough time on his hands that it didn’t matter, and it almost made Tanner smile. “So I guess you’re going?”_

_“Oh yeah man, I’m **all** about nature shit.” Kayden’s accompanying sweeping hand motions set Tanner off, but he managed to stifle most his amusement behind tightly pressed lips._

_“Of course,” nodded Tanner, rubbing his arm self-consciously. He couldn’t remember a time he’d been camping solely with a group of friends. So when Kayden asked if he was going, he agreed. “Yeah. Sounds like fun.”_

Regret plagued Tanner as he stared at the reel in his hand, reminiscing on a time when he and Kayden weren’t at odds, before the last trip together. They weren’t the closest in their friend group but they were at least friends then. Right now he didn’t know where they stood, and Kayden apparently liked him. For a while, Raina had indicated. So maybe even back then. He’d been so certain that Kayden and Sat were still together on the last camping trip, being so physically close to one another. It only made sense, but he’d been wrong. 

Maybe he’d been wrong about many things. There wasn’t time for any of this, he had to look over their last camping trip to be sure that this was or wasn’t real. Faintly, Tanner could hear through the door something similar to… shouting? Fighting? It was incoherent, with the tin of radio interference, but ultimately another distraction, because as he peered closer to one particular still of Darby helping Raina over a log, he could’ve sworn he saw a shadow in the background of the trees move.

# - .... . / -.. . ...- .. .-.. / -.-. --- -- . ... #

 

“I missed you,” Sat mused, talking more to herself than Kayden. Still, he hummed in reply, working through his third cigarette in silence. He might’ve missed her too. “Where have you been for the last year? Why couldn’t I find you?” And there was the line.

“Nope, not interested.” He mumbled, wishing he had someone harder than whiskey in his arsenal that night.

“ _Come on_ , it’s just me. You know I wouldn’t judge you.” Kayden caught Sat’s eyes in a game of chicken, neither of them wanting to back down from their own wants. The weird thing about sleeping with someone at some point was that it made him a little more susceptible to listening to what they wanted even outside of sex. 

He lifted a hand to his mouth, leisurely removing the nearly spent cancer-stick. 

A nearby scream pierced the night, catching Sat and Kayden both off guard and wide-eyed. “ _What the-?_ ”

“Let’s get back.” Sat was already on her feet as she spoke, waiting for Kayden to catch up with his flashlight as they ran back towards the house. They’d gotten pretty close and it wasn’t even a minute before the trees parted around them and the house loomed.

“Guys? Are you okay?” Sat called out through the front door as they bounded up the porch steps one after other. A musty, coppery scent tainted the air of the room around them.

“In here!” The returned yell, muted slightly by the walls was still unmistakably Darby, and they felt the tenuously thread of relief draw them to her. It would’ve been much worse to hear nothing at all. Kayden and Sat only spared the living area a cursory glance as they moved through, past the kitchen and down the hall. The utility room door was open, but Kayden didn’t spot anyone inside – though it seemed like a few of the boxes they’d moved out of the way had been knocked over. Various bits of memorabilia, albums, and porcelain knick-knacks spilled out, a few looking cracked and smashed.

“He was here. _He was here_!” Darby repeated in near breathless excitement as Sat and Kayden entered the room they were in, this one with filled with overturned boxes and chairs. The bay windows were flung wide, revealing a sprawling garden with a strange overgrown beauty.

“Who? The goat man?” Sat raised her eyebrows, looking down at shattered wood and metal fragments that creaked awkwardly beneath her shoes the closer they got. Bending down to inspect them better, she saw the underside of a speaker box, and immediately looked up to where the radio should have been stationed further across the room, but there was nothing there. 

Darby continued eagerly, hands shaking, oblivious to the crime scene around her. “Yes! He was exactly like I remember, same face and everything.” 

Kayden went towards Raina who was sitting on the floor, cradling her left arm to her chest and staring into the carpet, her features drawn tight with fear. “You okay?” She nodded, only lifting her head when he knelt next to her. 

“Yeah. I- I think I fell on my wrist.” Raina’s words were hoarse and she winced as he took her hand to check it over.

“Where’s Tanner?” Sat asked, head sweeping from side to side as she looked around the room for the missing one of their group. He wouldn’t have left them on their own without good reason, and she hoped that he hadn’t done something stupid while they’d been gone. She watched the faces of Darby and Raina grow more apprehensive with each passing second of silence, so she asked again, panic setting in once more. “ _Where is he?_ ”

Finally, Raina stopped worrying at her bottom lip, looking up at Sat, then at Kayden beside her, and seized her courage with a shaking breath.

“It took him.”

# -- .- -.-- / --. --- -.. / ... .- ...- . / ..- ... #

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't believe for one second that Tanner and Kayden did not have some kind of actual friendship before that camping trip. (also I know this is full of typos but I can't read right now. I'll fix it.)
> 
> See you next chapter.  
> # .../---/... #

**Author's Note:**

> Kayden is here, and his emotions are somewhere in the Marianas trench.
> 
> I don't know xD. I'm working on it. Lemme know if you like it tho, it may get more chapters?


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